An Uneventful Quidditch Match (drarry) (COMPLETED)

chapter four

The corridor is empty when it happens.

One second, Harry is walking alone to his next class. The next, he is pulled into the nearest classroom and put into a full-body bind. There is a foot on his chest and a wand to his neck, but Harry does not panic. He smiles up at the figure who had cornered him, his demeanor and tone calm. "Hello, Luna."

She narrows her eyes at him, saying nothing.

"This is no way to treat an old friend," Harry laughs, leaning away from the wand stabbing into his neck.

"We're not friends," she said, her voice small but tense, echoing in the all but empty classroom.

"Sure we are," Harry smiled, but it does not met his eyes.

"We aren't friends because you aren't Harry," she continues, "Right?"

Harry laughs, but it is no longer lighthearted. It is malicious, in every sense of the word. "You're not wrong, but we have no reason to discuss that. I'm more interested in how you know that, Luna."

Luna tilts her head, ignoring his ponderings. "If you're not Harry," she mutters, more to herself than anything, "then who are you?"

"I suppose it has to do with the seer blood in you," Harry says, ignoring Luna's questions like she ignored his. "My magic as fake-Hermione had to very surpressed as to not blow my cover, but now I'm able to use more powerful magic freely. I suppose that's how you guessed I wasn't Harry this time, but couldn't guess I was Hermione before. Very interesting."

Luna's eyes widened. "You're Jackson? How is that even possible?"

"The one and only," Harry laughs, "But I'm a bit more than that, if only a bit."

"What do you mean?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out, yes?" Harry sends a wave of raw magic out, breaking the bonds and sending Luna scrambling. "I'll be off, then. Be a dear and fix the mess of the classroom, will you?" He turns in his heel, leaving the classroom with ease, as if he had never belonged in it in the first place.

Luna watches him go, sitting on the floor as she does. She slowly tilts her head, finally getting a veiw of the room. It is somewhat destroyed; Jackson's magic blast had done it, it seemed. Luna fixed it with a wave of a wand, letting herself wonder why Jackson didn't erase her memory. She was going to tell people, that much was obvious, so why did Jackson let her go?

Maybe it was because he, too, knew that Luna was not like these people. She did not belong. Because of that, because of her misplacement, and oddness, and everything everyone has deemed her to be, no one will believe her when she tells them that a dead man has taken over Harry's body.

Luna will not be believed, she knows this, but she would not be Luna if she didn't try.

¶∆¶

Harry holds Ron's letter in his hand, crumpling it slightly with agitation. It was only their third exchange of letters, not much was said, and yet...

Dear Harry,

You don't seem yourself. It feels like I lost both you and her.

Please do not respond. I wish to cease contact with you for now.

- RW

Harry tuts lightly at himself. That was the second person to become suspicious of him. And here he was, thinking he was doing a lovely job of play pretend. But no matter, he told himself. Ron and Luna are two of many; for the most part, he is holding up well.

"Who's that from?"

Harry turns from the table, placing a smile on his face. It is Draco, approaching the Gryffindor table.

Harry folds the letter, sticking it in his pocket. "No one important," he said. He stood, walking up to Draco and taking his hand. Draco smiled at the conjoined hands. "Let's be off to our date then, Dray."

Draco's expression falters, his smile falling and a small frown finding itself on his face. He looks at Harry, a sense of suspicion filling his eyes. It is only a few seconds before he shakes his head, his joyful and light expression finding it's place on his face again.

Harry studied him closely, taking in the small silent movements.

Maybe, he thinks, I am not as good as play pretend as I previously thought.

∆¶∆

Harry sits, sipping on void, watching a small TV-like screen with mild interest. The seat beside him is empty (Life is off then, talking to their sister Hope) and Hermione takes it. She turns to see what is he watching.

"Draco's so intelligent," Harry says, bringing Hermione's attention to the screen. "It's only been a week and he's already very suspicious. I love that for him."

Hermione hums in agreement. "Do you know how Jackson was able to take your body in the first place?" she asks. Harry smiles, being reminded of their time on Earth. Hermione loves to know.

"Yes, actually," Harry answers. "I asked Life about it a bit ago. He said that, when a body dies, the main rule is that a soul, or a piece of a soul, must die it it. So when Jackson killed me, his body dying with me, he took the opportunity to split his soul in half, leaving a horocrux in his old body, where that sliver of soul died. Voldemort's soul sliver and the second half of Jackson's soul never technically died. Since my soul died with a body, it was relatively easy for them to just. Slip right in. Simple as that."

Hermione nodded as she digested the information. "Have you spoken to your parents since you've arrived?" she asks after a bit.

Harry nods. "I didn't remember them, so I didn't know who they were, but Life introduced me to them. And Remus and Sirius. It was nice, to see people who care about me, even if I don't have the memories of them. But it just makes me sad."

"Why so?"

"Well," Harry took a sip of void, "it reminds me we're all dead."